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Telegraph and Telephone
In 1792 the earliest form of long distance, electrical communication began. Starting with the telegraph, long distance communication is an essential part of daily life. Before the telegraph the fastest means of communication was by horse. But, by 1840 the telegraph was the fastest way to send messages, starting to communicate cities by just a click of a button. This sparked the creation of the telephone as well. Connecting people and places all around the world by just a click of a button. In 1825, Samuel Morse a man from New Haven, was asked to create a portrait in Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, in another part of the country he gets a letter about how his sick wife have somehow gotten better. While staying in D.C. he had received another letter the very next day about how his wife had suddenly died. While grieving over his wife's sudden death, he started contemplating how much simpler life would be if there were a faster means of communication. He started studying electromagnetism and it’s various scientific properties and slowly began to wonder if this was the answer to all of his questions. He began to develop the single wired telegraph along with developing a series of dots and dashes that could be translated into letters and words, also known as “Morse Code”. After this moment, communication was a simpler task in daily life. Finally, in 1844 Morse sent the very first telegraph message from the Washington D.C. to Old Mt. Clare Depot in Baltimore saying, "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT" (Wikipedia, Telegraphy). This was the start of commercial telegraphy and all electronic communication from then on out. By 1850 all major cities were connected by telegraph making everyday politics, trade, war strategies and much more, easier. There was even a wire set in the ocean from the U.S. to Europe making international affairs simpler as well. Adding on to the idea of telegraphs being simpler there were also faster. Before the telegraph, the fastest way for news to travel was by horse (30 mph) or pigeon (35 mph). Now people could communicate by sending one word at 186,000 mps. Although, most governments had complete control over the telegraph, the U.S. was arguing over which major company would control telegraphy. By the time the competition started a newer improved invention had hit the scene. Called the telephone, this newer improved device could not only communicate from opposite sides of the world by a click of a button but, you could also hear the sources voice. The modern version, invented by Alexander Graham Bell, was the first to be patented. Called the "apparatus for transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically", telephones became a hit and slowly drowned out the effects of telegraphs. Many of the earlier telephone models were used in diverse ways. Some powered by a liquid transmitter, some by a metal diaphragm, and some were just their own unique style of phone. Although, at the end of the day they all responded to their one main purpose which was to communicate people from miles apart just by a click of the button. (Wikipedia, Telephone)Telephones were used differently than they are today however. Instead of getting on your phone and just dialing in the number of the person or place one would like to speak with, one had to call in the operator. People in different communities had their own line that connected their phones. An A/C and a D/C wire were used to connect between the two. One would have to call in, identify the person or place they are trying to get in touch with, then the operator would have to move said wire into a plug to connect the two calls. In modern society this is all automated by computer, the source types in the address, the computer connects it.Disadvantages of single wire operation such as crosstalk and hum from nearby AC power wires had already led to the use of twisted pairs and, for long distance telephones, four-wire circuits. Users at the beginning of the 20th century did not place long distance calls from their own telephones but made an appointment to use a special sound-proofed long distance telephone booth furnished with the latest technology (Wikipedia, Telephone) As the result of telephones in the U.S. many other developments arose. Such as the creations of telephone companies. In 1900 the first telephone company, AT&T started out. Starting with commercial loading coils, the first ones set up by this company were in New York and Boston. 20 years later AT&T had yet another development known as the frequency multiplying concept. This would allow several phone calls at one time, as opposed to the original telephone that would only allow one at a time. Yet it wasn't until 1947 that the term "telephone numbers" had came into effect. This became the modern telephone number we know today. The U.S. and select areas such as Canada and the Caribbeans were given an area code for their area followed by a number that each individual server could be reached at. At last finally in 1949 a classic Model 500 telephone with a ringer and a headset that was then used as a modern at home telephone that many families began to own. (Telephone Timeline) Thomas Edison once said that the invention of the telephone "brought the human family in closer touch." (http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ss5/b/ecotech20l.cfm and Technology of the 20th Century ) As of today not only have telegraphs and telephones made communication simpler but they have also led way to many of today's more important inventions. Things like cellphones which at first were merely a wireless handheld version of a telephone that could be taken on the go, are now practically a handheld mobile computer, telephone, camera, and more. With the way Telegraphs and Telephones have impacted our everyday life today there is no telling where we will be as a civilization in the next 100 years. Media and communication has been greatly affected and changed by the development of these two inventions within the past 200 years and there is no stopping it now. Work Cited "Telegraphy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. "Telephones." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. "Telephone Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century." Telephone Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century. National Academy of Engineering. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. "Inventions and Technology of the 20th Century." New York Test Prep. Web. 30 Sept. 2015